Our History

Canterbury Museum, in Christchurch’s Cultural Precinct, is housed in a beautiful stone building that was first opened in 1870.

The first director of the Museum was Julius Haast. Haast was also the surveyor-general of Canterbury from 1861 to 1871 and several places in New Zealand are named for him, including Haast Pass, the Haast River and the town of Haast. He also named the Franz Josef Glacier after the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Canterbury Museum is still world-renowned for its natural and human history collections

Exchanges, mainly of moa bones and bird skins, with overseas museums allowed Haast to form the basis of Canterbury Museum’s collection, and in his day it was probably the leading museum in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sir Julius von Haast - First director of Canterbury Museum

The Museum building itself is fascinating, and was originally designed by B W Mountfort. When the Canterbury Pilgrims arrived on 16 December 1850 Mountfort was one of the first settlers ashore and he lived and worked in Canterbury for the rest of his life. As an architect he designed most of the public buildings that give Christchurch its distinctive Gothic Revival character, including the Museum and the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings,

Canterbury Museum’s original portico is still used as the entrance today and around its columns you can see a delightful array of animal faces peeping out from a background of leaves, all carved in Oamaru stone. The inscription over the entrance was suggested by William Rolleston as being a suitable text and was added by Claudius Brassington in 1896. It is a passage from Job 26.14, which reads, Lo these are parts of His ways but how little a portion is heard of Him.

Canterbury Museum is still world-renowned for its natural and human history collections. The Antarctic Gallery is a particular highlight, with an extensive collection of artefacts from the Heroic Era of Antarctic exploration. See if you can spot Roald Amundsen’s pocket knife, which he used to sharpen the bamboo stake planted at the South Pole to fly the Norwegian flag on 17 December 1911. There’s also interactive fun for kids in the Discovery area, and a café with treetop views of the Botanic Gardens.

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Did you know?

Printed on Ice

The first book ever produced in Antarctica was Aurora Australis, edited by Ernest Shackleton. Canterbury Museum holds one of these very rare books, which were printed on a press loaned to the British Antarctic Expedition 1907 - 1909.

RealStories

Tales of Canterbury’s heritage

Wander the streets of early Christchurch, where ladies ordered whale-bone corsets and men puffed on ivory pipes. See how people traversed the country by land and sea and learn about life in the city on the plains.

RealLife

Learn about our world

Visit the Bird Hall to see beautiful displays and dioramas of all our native species, including rare and extinct birds. In the Geology gallery discover spectacular fossils and learn about New Zealand’s fascinating marine reptiles. Find out more →

RealHistory

Venture into the past

The Asian Gallery is home to an intriguing collection of Eastern treasures. Be inspired by the intricate craftsmanship and detail of objects ranging from swords of the Samurai to delicate Chinese snuff bottles. Find out more →

RealDesign

Celebrate style and creativity

Immerse yourself in a world of tweed and taffeta, frocks and flying suits with NZ’s premier costume collection. Explore the detail of the stunning decorative arts housed in the magnificent 1870 Mountfort Gallery. Find out more →

RealCool

Antarctic adventures of discovery

Epic adventures of Antarctic heroes come to life as you learn about the polar environment and marvel at the vehicles that carried the explorers across the ice. Find out more →

RealPeople

Individuals that shaped history

Step into the realm of pioneering men and women, brave Antarctic explorers, local sporting legends and eccentric collectors. The Museum is home to a wealth of stories about the personalities behind the artefacts. Find out more →

RealNZ

Share our unique taonga

Visit the Iwi Tawhito and Ngā Taonga galleries to share the treasures, or taonga, of the early Māori. See intricate wooden carvings, tools and weapons of bone and greenstone from the time when moa hunters stalked their giant prey. Find out more →

RealFun

Explore the natural world

Discovery, our natural history centre for children, is bursting with weird and wonderful things to explore. Dig for fossils, say “hi” to the live tarantulas and learn all about our amazing world and the creatures that share it. Find out more →